Clothesline reel



S. CHAT'TERTON.

CLOTHESLINE REEL.

'FILED DE Jan. 23, 1923.

Patented dan. 23, 19223.

SHELBYGHATTERTON, OF NEWARK, OHIO.

CLOTHESLINE REEL.

.Application le December 10, 1921.

To LZ whom it may concern:

lle it known that l, SHELBY Crnirrnnron, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Newark, iny the county of Licking and State of hiO, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Clothesline Reels, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in combinedclothes-line reels and housings therefor, and one of the objects of theinvention is to provide a device of this character which will greatlyfacilitate the putting up and taking down of a clothes-line, and whichwill also thoroughly protect the clothes-line when the same is reeled.

Another object of my invention is to provide two speeds for operatingthe reel whereby the high speed mayv be employed for reeling in theline, or for raising the line when it is comparatively light; while; thelow speed is for raising the line when it is full of wet clothes, andalso for drawing the line taut so Ithat a long line full of clothes maybe drawn sufficiently tight to avoid the necessity of using props on theline.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means whereby thereel will be held against rotation after the line has been drawn taut.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

For a more complete description of the. invention reference is to be hadto the accompanying drawings; in which.

Figure l is a front view of the housing and operating mechanism, thedoor being `partly broken away to show the reel.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view takenl on line 2--2 ofFigure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the housing and operating mechanism.

Referring' to the drawings more in detail, numeral 1 indicates generallya housing in which is rotatably mounted the reel 2. The housing isprovided with a front door 3, and a hingedly mounted cover 4. A latch 5secures the front door in its closed position.

Une end of the clothesline 6 is `secured to to the reel, and the linethen reeves through Serial No. 521,440.

a block 7, from which the line leads to the point of use.' l Y The reelhas a stub shaft 8 on the end thereof, and this stub shaft is providedwith a transverse pin 9. The operating crank 10 is suitably slotted toreceive the ends of the transverse pin when the crank is applied to theshaft.

With the crank applied to the stub shaft 8 the reel is rotated at lowspeed, and the device is to be used in this manner when the line is fullof wet clothes and it is desired to draw it taut so that no props arenecessary.

A pawl 11 is pivotally mounted at 12, and this pawl carries a. pin 18which passes through a slot in the guide bracket 14. A coil spring 15carried by the pin between the pawl and the bracket normally holds thepawl in engagement with gear 16 carried bv the stub shaft 8. A hook 17mounted on the front of the housing is adapted to engage the outer endof the pawl through the aperture 18, and thus holdthe pawl out ofengagement with the gear when desired.

A stub shaft 19 carries a high speed gear 20, and this stub shaftcarries a transverse pin 21 similar to pin 9, and also adapted to engageslots in the operating crank 10. Gear Q2 operatively connects gears 1Gand 20. The reel is to be operated by the high speed gear when reeling'in the line or when the line is very light.

ln operation, assuming the line to be reeled in as shown, when it isdesired to put the line u it is only necessary to engage the hook l inthe aperture 18, thus throw ing the pawl 11 out of engagement, and thenrun out the desired amount of line. The pawl is then thrown intoengagement with thel gear 16, and the clothes hung.

If only a few clothes are hung on the line, then the crank may beapnlied to the stub shaft 19 and the line I will then be drawn taut athigh speed. But if the line is a longV` and heavy one it will requiretoo much power to lift it and draw it taut at high speed, and in thatevent the crank is merely shifted to the stub shaft 8, and the rcel isthus operated at low speed.. Or in some cases the line may be partlylifted at high speed with the crank on stub shaft 19, and

when greater power is needed to draw the line taut then the crank isshifted to Stub shaft S. Of course the pawl ll prevents the unreeling ofthe line duringthe operation.

Then the Clothes are taken down the line is reeled up at high Speed withthe Crank on stub shaft 19, and thus much time is saved.

While I have Shown and described the preferred eonstruetioninndarrangement ot the several elemente` employed, it is obvious that theinvention. is susceptible to considrable niodiieation therein, and Itherefore reserve the right to resort to all such legitimate changes asmay be fairly embodied Within the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

Having fully described my invention. wlmi I ola-im as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

In a Clothes-line reel7 a housing;`r a reel iuelosed in said housing, astub shaft carried by the reel and projecting` thi'oilgih one wall ot'the housing, a gear wheel carried by said stub Sha-ft, a second gearwheel meshing with aid irst mentioned gear wheel, a second stub shaftmounted in the wall ol" the housing', a third gear wheel Carried by saidSecond Stub shaft, and meshing` with the second mentioned `gear wheel,and a n operai ing crank adapted to be applied to either oi Said stubshafts.

SHELBY CI'JITERTUN.

